


5 Times Touched, 1 Time Kissed

by simbascrawls



Category: 1bitHeart (Video Game)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Attraction, Denial of Feelings, Fluff, M/M, nanase is just nanase, toukai likes nanase but doesn't realize it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-14
Updated: 2019-08-14
Packaged: 2020-07-25 00:31:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20023576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/simbascrawls/pseuds/simbascrawls





	5 Times Touched, 1 Time Kissed

1\. It started simple enough. Nanase's shoulders brushed Toukai's in the middle of the older man scolding him for his frivolous ways. There was no natural way for this to happen, but it had. Nanase didn't consider the boundary of personal space as something to be respected in this day and age. At the very least he didn't when it came to Toukai's, who was rubbing at his temple to try and stave off an on coming headache that was starting to blossom behind his eyes.

He didn't _hate_ Nanase, to make that point clear, and as much as he acted as such there were things about him that were admirable. Nanase was a genius, an obvious starter, but he was also clueless in social situations rather often, but still did his best. He made friends even when some of them left him and Toukai could remember seeing the sadness in his eyes despite his smile over the latest loss that he had been talking to Misane about. It was painful to see, but Toukai tried to ignore it in favor for the traits the other carried that annoyed him so. And above all, his relationship with his daughter. Even if it was just friendship as the other claimed, unable to keep a hold of so many other friends despite the ones that he had that Toukai had seen in passing. 

Instead, he chose to focus on his scolding instead of thinking about it.

While the words fell from his lips, the other man just listened and smiled, brushing past him to grab a drink like he belonged in the house he stood in. As if he somehow was meant to be there and with the ease of his movements, one could be fooled into thinking so. They were graceful and without one wasted movement and Toukai didn't understand how someone so clumsy could seem so elegant.

"That tea isn't meant for you!"

"I thought that tea was something you gave a guest as a show of welcoming."

"Well, you're not welcome."

"Are you sure?"

That headache was started pulsing and he had to grit his teeth against the pain of it. He knew that his daughter was fond of this man, but he never understood why or understood their strange relationship that she claimed was like brother and sister. If that were the case, he was pretty sure that Nanase would be the younger sibling what with his desire for her attention and approval. What grown man needed that? Apparently Nanase did and wasn't ashamed of it, perfectly fine with any criticism that Toukai heaped upon him. If anything he seemed to _agree_ with what he said and the detective was never sure what to make of that in the end or how to respond to Nanase's self deprecating attitude.

" _Yes_."

"Father."

Misane entered the room and gave her father a look that was her way of begging him not to take it any further than he already had. There was no denying that the other man was important to her and Toukai had long accepted his fate in that. No matter what he did, they were going to be together and solving small cases and spending time together. That much was a simple fact of his life at this point, though that didn't mean that he had to like it.

"Yeah, yeah."

Nanase gave him a smile as if in victory as he took another sip from the tea cup. Toukai bared his teeth at the other man for a moment before his daughter cleared her throat and he shook his head, not looking for an argument with the both of them when his head was still pounding.

"Just go on your little adventure already. Be back by eight."

"Yes, father."

"Of course, dad!"

A growl left him then with his next words as he pointed toward the door.

"Out!"

2\. The next incident was with their arms touching as they sat together on a bench that was too small waiting for Misane. Toukai's leg bounced as he waited impatiently, arms crossed and shoulders stiff as he tried to lean away form the other man to no avail. He didn't know what it was about Nanase himself that always set him on edge, but it was often like the other was trying to get under his skin. Like he wanted to burrow in and live there where Toukai could never get rid of him.

The detective didn't want to admit that it was working.

He was even starting to become used to the way that their dynamic worked, used to the way that the other called him 'dad' much to his own annoyance. The nickname had attached itself to him to the point that he had begun to even respond to it. Nanase had looked particularly triumphant about that piece of happening. It ground Toukai's gears while the smile seemed to soften how he yelled at him for it afterward.

What was it about Nanase that seemed to soften the edges of Toukai's rough treatment toward people and the other man specifically? He didn't know and he wasn't sure he wanted to find out. Every smile and slight touch had him feeling softer by the moment and it was all he could do to fight it off. The last thing that Toukai wanted to do was go poking around about who and why and what was making him feel that way. It wouldn't do to become unprofessional or stick his nose into something that he knew somehow that he wasn't ready to face.

In this, he scowled over at Nanase as the other hummed softly and only smiled at him in return. The sun lit his white hair up like a halo and made his smile all the more blinding. Toukai had to squint against the brightness, only adding further to the sour expression on his face.

"Come on, dad, there's no reason to look so angry."

"Stop calling me that."

"But it fits you!"

That wasn't the first time that Toukai had heard something along those lines from the other man, but he still didn't see it. Other than being a father, he didn't know how this nickname that Nanase had dubbed him with worked out in his mind. What was he even thinking when he said it? He probably wasn't thinking at all, or just didn't care about the consequences which seemed to be a common theme with the white haired male. Toukai had to admit, though, he was starting to become rather curious as to what that reasoning he might have was.

"Really? How?"

Nanase's smile grew as he reached up to press a finger to his own lips as he tilted his head and winked.

"That's a secret."

Toukai let out a frustrated growl and shot up from his seat, growing more frustrated by the second. The fact that the other actually looked _cute_ wasn't helping him keep his cool in the slightest. What was he even supposed to do with this man?

"Why you --- just tell me already!"

"Father."

Misane's voice came from behind him as he'd been just about ready to grab Nanase by the collar to shake some kind of sense into him. Or, really, to shake out some kind of answer rather than what he was left with so far. Hearing her voice brought his actions to a stop, hand curling into a fist in mid air on its way to grabbing the other man. Toukai felt like a child that had just been scolded without Misane having to actually say anything. It caused his cheeks to burn and Nanase had the audacity to grin as he stood.

"You look cute when you blush, Toukai."

That only caused him to pause and stare at the other as he smiled at him before turning his attention to Misane. Whatever they started talking about he didn't know because he was still stuck in the moment where Nanase had actually said his name and his chest and felt funny when he heard it. What was he supposed to do with this? What was happening to him that the other man had such an affect upon his person. Whether that was causing him annoyance, angering him, or causing his cheeks to light up with color all because he'd called him cute and said his name.

Toukai didn't want to know what it was that was doing this, but he had to admit that it felt like he was a goner already.

3\. The third incident happened when Nanase wasn't watching where he was going, babbling on about something that the older man didn't quite understand but had decided to humor him for once by letting him ramble on. It was that which caused the younger man to stumble and almost falling into street, leaving Toukai to reach out and grab him back to safety. However, in his surprise and instinct to get Nanase to safety, he pulled too hard and they both toppled backwards with the younger man landing on the elder.

It was warm like this, with the other man so close to him and somehow that was all that Toukai could focus on rather than getting Nanase off of him. His weight atop him felt natural almost even in the awkward positioning of their bodies from falling into a heap on the concrete. Thankfully, the street wasn't densely populated and very few people paid them much mind, preferring to go about their business that worry about the two grown man sprawled across the ground.

They were stuck there for a moment, just staring at one another being Nanase of course went to smile and had the audacity to kiss Toukai's cheek.

"My hero!"

Toukai stared at the other man for a long moment before he shoves the offending male off of him while grumbling something about not wanting to hear it and how Nanase was a real idiot, despite his genius status. He tried to ignore the burning in his cheeks or how he could still feel the warmth of Nanase pressed so close to him, like it was meant to be.

"Don't give me that, you should have been watching where you were going."

"Maybe, but you still saved me!"

Nanase's smile was just too blinding to look at and Toukai had to look away before it damaged his eyes. Like looking at the sun for too long. He couldn't bring himself to look back to him as he started walking again, not caring if the other man was following him or not.

"Hey, wait up!"

"We have somewhere to be."

"I know."

"Then you know we can't just sit around waiting in the middle of the street. People were staring."

There was still color to Toukai's cheeks, but Nanase seemed none the wiser as he smiled and kept in pace with Toukai's long strides easily. Curse his longer legs for making it hard for Toukai to lose him without outright running. Nanase always had been taller than him.

"Oh, I didn't notice, I was focused on you!"

"What the hell does that even _mean?_ "

Toukai didn't stop walking to find out, didn't wait for answer and didn't get one as they finally walk into the station and Nanase is bombarded by some of the other detectives that he's not directly working with. Somehow, Toukai doesn't feel relieved about it.

4\. Nanase hugged him.

That's it. That's all there was to it. Nanase had hugged Toukai and the older man had been at a loss for what to do. Sure, they had just solved a difficult case and maybe that was why, but did it really constitute a hug? Toukai wasn't sure.

Maybe he was emotionally constipated... or maybe he was in denial of the butterflies he felt when those warm arms had wrapped around him and left him wanting to hold on longer than the hug should naturally go on for. Maybe that was why he had been too stiff to hug back, because he was aware that then he would never want to let go, but Nanase is still smiling at him anyway when he pulls back.

"We did it!"

He looked like a kid at Christmas getting the toy he wanted the most, looking at Toukai like he was that very gift. The older man didn't know what to do about the butterflies that swarm faster in his stomach, it's been a decade since he last felt this way. Been so long since Misane's mother passed, since he was left alone to grow into a bitter old man. One that had hated Nanase when they had first met.

Toukai wasn't sure that he hated him anymore.

"Yeah, we did."

"It's all because we worked together."

No, it was because Nanase was a genius, but Toukai doesn't say that. He knew that Nanase would want to take all the glory. He's not that kind of guy, the kind of guy that Toukai thought him to be in the beginning. He's someone else entirely and the older man is starting to think that maybe, just maybe he has his heart.

"Yeah, together."

Nobody says anything about Toukai not yelling at Nanase for the hug.

5\. They're holding hands.

Nanase and Toukai were holding hands and Toukai wasn't pulling away. He didn't know how it came to this, but it was the reality of the moment. Something about seemed so surreal that he wasn't even sure if he was dreaming or not. A large part of him hoped that he wasn't.

They had been walking back to the house from the precinct and had been having a conversation that was actually pleasant and only involved some light scolding from Toukai when Nanase used his mind reading on him. He knew that it was bad for his health from Misane, but he also didn't want him to find out what he was hiding. Didn't want Nanase to know the lengths to which the older man's feelings for him actually went.

However, once the conversation died down, Nanase hadn't been hesitant in the slightest upon taking Toukai's hand and holding onto it as they walked to his home. So maybe, heaven forbid, Nanase already knew how the older man felt about him.

Or maybe he was just so sure of himself that it didn't matter.

Toukai looked down at their joined hands and back up to Nanase's face out of the corner of his eye and could only find the younger man smiling like an idiot. He seemed pretty happy with himself and the situation and Toukai couldn't quite bring himself to ruin it. So, they continued to hold hands in relative quiet as they walked down the street.

There weren't that many people around and Toukai could see the house coming closer as they walked. This wouldn't last much longer and he found himself wishing that it could, that Nanase's warm hand in his was actually something that could happen on a regular basis, but once they let go would it ever happen again? Toukai didn't know. He didn't want to ask, too afraid of what the answer might be and that it could be a no for all he knew. He could be thinking too much about it, too.

Then, he reminded himself not to be a coward, feeling his palm start to sweat as they get to the door.

By the time they reached it, he made up his mind.

1\. "I guess this is where I head home."

Nanase stated it with something like regret in his voice; he hasn't let go of Toukai's hand yet. It's warm and calming somehow in its surety and weight. The older man will miss it when it's gone, but that's not what was making his palms sweat or his cheeks to color. Maybe at the beginning, but not now. Now it's something else entirely.

He looked up to the younger man, slightly taller than him and something that had always frustrated him from day one. It was hard to scold someone who was taller than you and have it come out right. Toukai had often felt like he was the one acting like a child sometimes, arguing with the other over things that he had misunderstood and only now having a full understanding of Nanase as he was. Or, well, as close to a full understanding as anyone was able to get.

This time, though, he found something of himself in those eyes and he still has a hard time looking at that smile, even as now it's filled with something else other than happiness. Something like.. regret? Worry? Uncertainty? It doesn't look good on him, Toukai has never seen Nanase uncertain like this before and he doesn't like it.

With a trembling hand, he reached forward and touched the other man's cheek like he was something priceless. Like he was made of glass and he worried that his callous hands might damage him somehow. He's not young anymore, not some youth that doesn't know what love it, but he sure had been acting like one with the denial he's been in. Now, he could see more clearly and what he saw reflected back at him in those pink eyes were the same thing that he felt.

It makes relief wash over him before he even settled on cupping the back of Nanase's head and pulling him down to a kiss.

It's not deep and groundbreaking, but it still shakes Toukai to his core. Soft lips met chapped ones and he resisted the urge to draw away in embarrassment. He wasn't soft like Nanase, he had sharp edges, but they've been smoothed away by the man he's kissing and if that's okay with the younger man then who is he to argue?

They stayed like that for what feels like hours, but really is only so many minutes, just kissing and exploring and learning how to hold each other in their arms.

It's perfect.

And then the front door opened and Toukai jumped back as his daughter peeked her head out the door.

"Are you guys going to stay out here and kiss all night or are you going to come inside?"

Toukai's face went red, eyes widening as he realized that she must have seen them through the window. Scrambling for what to say, he was stopped when Nanase let out a laugh. It's bright and pure and perfect and it somehow calmed Toukai as he heaved out a breath.

"You should be in bed."

"And you should be inside."

"Bed. Now."

"Fine."

She shut the door without further argument and Toukai was grateful for it. He had to catch his breath before he was able to look at Nanase again, but he feels his hand receive a light squeeze. The simple action took all his fears away and had him looking back to the younger man once more.

"I enjoyed that."

Toukai can't really respond, dizzy in the new development that would surely change their relationship. What were they now, anyway?

"We should go inside."

"We?"

"Yes, _we_ because _we_ need to talk."

"Oh, right."

"Come on, I'll make tea."

Toukai opened the door and let Nanase enter, closing it behind them.

"Can I get another kiss?"

"... Maybe later."

"Aw, come on, please?"

"Don't whine, I said later."

"Okaaay, dad."

"Don't call me that."


End file.
